Watchcase-center.



PATENTED JAN. 29, 1907.

A. BAVIER.

WATGHGASE CENTER.

APPLICATION IILED IULY31, 1905.

THE uumws PETERS ca, wAsHmm-azv, n. c.

case-center for hunting-case watches.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ADOLPHUS BAVIER, OF VJATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE VVATERBURYCLOCK CO., OF TVATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORA- TION.

WATCHCASE-GENTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 29, 1907.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ADoLrnUs Biivrnn, a citizen of the United States,residing at \Vaterbury, in the county of New Haven and State ofConnecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Centers forVVatchcases; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken .inconnection with the accompanying drawings and the letters of referencemaked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same,and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, andrepresent, in

My invention relates to an improvement in centers for watchcases, theobject being to produce a convenient and effective case-centerconstructed with particular reference to economy of production and toadaptation, without change in outside diameter, to receive movements varing in thickness and in diameter below the largest diameter the casewill receive.

With these ends in view my invention consists in a case-center havingcertain details of construction, as will be hereinafter described, andpointed out in the claims.

As shown in Figures 1 to 6, inclusive, my invention is applied to theproduction of a In this construction the inside ring 2, which, bypreference, is struck up from a suitable sheetmetal blank, is open atthe back or at its rear edge and formed upon its front edge with anintegral inwardly-extending annular snapshoulder 3, the outer edge ofwhich is extended inwardly to form an annular fastening-flange 4,located in the plane of the casecenter. The said shoulder 3 is providedfor the attachment of the bezel 5, carrying the crystal 6. The saidinside ring 2 is made enough wider than the outside ring 7 to form uponthe opposite sides thereof snap-shoulders 8 and 9, respectively providedfor the attachment of the front and back caps 10 and 11, the edges ofwhich impinge against the opposite faces or sides of the said outsidering 7, which is secured in place upon the outer periphery of the insidering in any desired manner. The watch-movement is inserted from rear tofront through the open back of the inside ring 2, the total depth ofwhich should be equal to the thickness of the movement. When themovement is in place, the front face of its front movement-plate 12 willbear directly upon the inner face of the fastening-flange 1, to whichthe move ment will be secured by screws 13, passed from front to rearthrough suitable notches 14 in the said flange, which, as shown, is alsoformed with perforations 15 for the attachment of the diai ,which is notitself shown. I have considered it sufficient for my present purpose toshow simply portions of the front movement-plate 12 and of the rearmovement-plate 16 and one of the pillars 17, these presenting enough ofthe movement for my present purpose.

My improvement is equally applicable to case-centers for open-facewatches, as shown by Fig. 7. In this construction the inside ring 18 isopen at the back and formed upon. its front edge with an integralinwardly-extending annular fastening-flange 19, corresponding to theflange 1 aforesaid, but not separated from the body of the ring by anintermediate snap-shoulder 3 for the attachment of the bezel, as inopen-face watches this snap shoulder is dispensed with. Thewatch-crystal 20 is mounted in a front cap 21, snapped over asnap-shoulder 22, formed by the front corner of the inside ring 18, therear edge 23 of which forms a snap-shoulder for the back cap 24. Theoutside ring 25 is mounted in any desired manner upon the middle portionof the outer periphery of the inside ring 18 and forms a bearing for theedges of the two caps. The watch-movement is inserted from rear to frontthrough the open back of the inside ring 18, which .is deep enough toreceive it, and secured in place by screws 26, passing through notches27 in the fastening-flange 19 and drawing the outer face of the frontmovement-plate 28 against the inner face of the flange against which itbears. The rear movement-plate 29 and one of the pillars 30 are alsoshown, this being sufficient for my present purpose, which is simply toshow the mode of fastening the movement to the flange of the insidering.

By drawing or striking up the inside ring from sheet metal 1 effect agreat economy of time and labor over the ordinary method of makingcase-centers, which are turned for the production of theirsnap-shoulders. By changing the width of the said inside ring the casemay be adapted to movementes of dif ferent thicknesses without changingthe outer ring, while by changing the width of the fastening-flange theease-eenter may be adapted, without changing the outer ring, tomovements smaller in diameter than the diameter of the inside ring.

I claim 1. In a center for watehoases, the combination with asheet-metal inside ring having upon one edge aninwardly-extendingfastening-flange and open at its opposite edge for the reception of awateh-movement one plate of which bears upon the inner face of the said.flange to which the movement is fastened; of an outside ring mountedupon the outer periphery of the said inside ring and narrower than thesame.

2. I11 a center for watoheases, the combination with a sheet-.111etalinside ring having its outer edge formed with an integralinwardly-extending fastening-flange, and its rear edge being made opento permit the introduction of a watell-movement into the ring for thebearing of its front movementplate directly against the inner face ofthe said fastening-flai'ige to which the movement is fastened, of anoutside ring mounted upon and narrower than the periphery of the insidering.

3. In a center for wateheases, the eomhination with a sheet-metal insidering having upon one edge an annular snapshoulder and aninwardly-extending fastening-flange, the said shoulder being smaller indiameter than the diameter of the ring and the flange being smaller indiameter than the said shoulder, and the opposite edge of the ring beingopen to permit the introduction of a watch-movement which bears upon theinner face of the said flange to which the said movement is fastened; ofan outside ring mounted upon the outer periphery of the inside ring andnarrower than the same.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the nesenre oftwosuhseribing witnesses.

ADOLPHUS BAV IE I i lVitnesses CLARENCE IV. Shaman, WILLIAM II.BASSET'I.

